Amanda Peterson Beadle

The House voted to approve a measure Tuesday to fund the Department of Homeland Security through September, the rest of the fiscal year. The bill, which originally passed the Senate on Friday, is a “clean” funding bill without any amendments attempting to defund President Obama’s executive actions. The House vote was 257-167, with only Republicans […]

Most Americans want immigration reform. President Obama’s executive actions took temporary steps to provide relief for millions of undocumented immigrants who have spent years here, but it is up to Congress to pass legislation that would comprehensively improve the immigration system. According to a February poll from Public Religion Research Institute, nearly three-quarters of Americans […]

President Obama said during Wednesday’s town hall in Florida that his administration is being “as aggressive as we can” to defend his executive actions against a legal challenge brought by 26 states. After a federal judge in Texas temporarily halted the President’s deferred action initiatives, the expansion of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and […]

The Obama administration is expected to file an emergency stay to move forward with the President’s executive action initiatives that will offer temporary deportation relief to millions of undocumented immigrants. Josh Earnest, White House press secretary, said the Department of Justice will file the stay with the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals by “Monday at […]

Wednesday was supposed to be the day that qualified undocumented immigrants began to apply for temporary deportation relief through Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals’ (DACA) expanded requirements. President Obama announced the expansion in his November executive actions, but late Monday night, a federal district court judge issued a “preliminary injunction” that temporarily blocked the implementation […]

Today, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released resources to help applicants understand the process for requesting Expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). The USCIS website now contains a list of frequently asked questions to address who is eligible and how the process works as well as instructions for how to fill out the form to apply. USCIS will […]

The House-passed bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security—and the anti-executive action amendments that were added—failed to advance in the Senate on a procedural vote. Senators voted 48 to 51, with Republican Dean Heller (NV) joining with the Democrats to vote against the measure. Because it was a procedural vote, the bill needed more […]

While some state attorneys general are suing to stop President Obama’s immigration executive actions, many state lawmakers are working to address immigration issues within their own states. New York, for example, is trying to pass new reforms to help young immigrants afford college while Colorado legislators try to limit additional funding to the state agency […]

Although the 2016 presidential elections are two years away, early entrants into the Republican presidential field have apparently decided that immigration is a topic that can safely be exploited. Similarly, congressional Republicans, particularly newly appointed Senate Immigration Subcommittee chair, Jeff Sessions, is offering up a game plan that seems designed to pit immigrants against American […]

The House of Representatives on Wednesday approved the $39.7 billion funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security, including five amendments that attacked parts of President Obama’s executive actions on immigration and the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The 236-191 vote for the spending measure passed essentially along party lines, although 2 Democrats […]